Sara Wright

The school received some networking, and it certainly received some cosmetology.

The Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence received a very hefty dose of Building Construction Technology during the past year, and the results of a $5.9 million renovation were unveiled Tuesday at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Ashley Mets, a graphic arts student at the Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence, videotapes a ribbon cutting Tuesday at her newly renovated school.-Carol McMillan/Special to Bluffton Today

Sixty-four teachers will have an opportunity to earn master's degrees in mathematics, thanks to a $700,000, three-year grant the Beaufort County School District won this week from the state Department of Education.

The highly-competitive Math Science Partnership (MSP) grant is set to fund "Building the Core: Improving Student Achievement by Advancing Teacher Knowledge," a plan to boost math and science ability among elementary, middle and high school students through teacher learning.

Family Promise of Beaufort County made Secretary of State Mark Hammond's annual list of 10 "Angels" Wednesday, which recognizes charities statewide that give the highest percent of what they bring in to what they aim to accomplish.

According to Hammond's office, 99.9 percent of Family Promise's program expenses went toward their mission of helping homeless families.

"Donors can be confident that their donations are going to homeless children in their families," said Emily Bugay, director of Family Promise.

BEAUFORT - After evaluating every elementary and middle school with an eye to closing one or more of them, school district planners recommended not a single Bluffton or Hilton Head Island school for closure during a Friday school board work session.

By the end of 2010, the school board plans to make decisions about what schools, if any, to close.

Imagine getting to go on a kayak tour of the May River with the naturalist who wrote the book on this area.

You can. He has.

Todd Ballantine, author of "Tideland Treasure" returns to the Lowcountry this week from his home in Boulder, Colo., a mere 1.2 miles above sea level.

"Todd really internationally is considered one of the top interpretive naturalists in the country," said Mike Overton, CEO of Outside Hilton Head and Outside Palmetto Bluff, which will host Saturday's two-hour tour of the May River with Ballantine as a guide.

During their initial attempt last spring, 78.6 percent of 51,785 South Carolina high school students passed both sections of the state's exit exam by scoring at Level 2 or higher on the test's four achievement levels - an improvement over 2009's passing rate of 76.4 percent.

If Bluffton High School social studies students have their way, Democrat Rob Miller will edge out incumbent Joe Wilson for U.S. House District 2 on Tuesday, and Democratic candidate for Governor Vincent Sheheen will beat Republican candidate Nikki Haley.

Social studies teachers held a mock election last week in their classes, capturing the opinions of most, but not all, of the roughly 1,090 students in grades 10, 11 and 12 that attend Bluffton High School.